Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing received more donations from cronies as Myanmar’s regime held a second ceremony for earthquake victims on Thursday in Naypyitaw.
Tycoon Maung Weik, A Bank founder Zaw Win Shein, Myanmar Airways International owner Aung Aung Zaw and Zay Thiha, son of property mogul Khin Shwe, attended the event.
The regime said almost 132 billion kyats (around US$32 million) and $2 million were donated to help construct 51 four-story buildings, each with 16 apartments.
At the first ceremony in April, the regime reportedly received around 125 billion kyats.
Min Aung Hlaing said the March 28 earthquake killed 3,740 people and caused 3.8 trillion kyats of damage.
The junta boss said he had visited earthquake-affected areas 15 times, while his ceasefire had helped reconstruction efforts. He said international aid had been delivered from “good friends” of the regime.
However, the regime has carried out numerous airstrikes on resistance-held areas, taking advantage of earthquake ceasefires declared by anti-regime groups.
More than 400 people have been killed by junta airstrikes since the March 28 earthquake, according to the civilian National Unity Government.
Government employees are still living and working in tents in Naypyitaw with rubble yet to be cleared around many government buildings.
In Mandalay, which was close to the earthquake’s epicenter, residents are struggling to clear debris from their collapsed houses.
In Mandalay and Sagaing regions, earthquake survivors have been told to leave schools where they have been sheltering since the earthquake, as the regime prepares for the new academic year on Monday.
